Every fee on the page.
Cancel within 60 days of your first charge, and your money comes back automatically.
How the guarantee works →Washington camp licensing requirements.
Who licenses day camps and overnight camps in Washington, under which rules, and who is exempt. Last checked November 2, 2026.
Get startedor book a demo
Day camps and overnight camps in Washington
| Camp type | What the state asks | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Day camps | Depends on the program | DCYF child care licensing does not cover seasonal programs running three months or less a year; longer programs caring for children may need a license.Source: Licensed and Unlicensed Child Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (LIC 0168), Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Overnight camps | State registration | Group camps that provide food and lodging must apply each year to the health officer to register, at least 30 days before opening.Source: Chapter 246-376 WAC: Camps, Washington State Legislature (Office of the Code Reviser). Checked November 2, 2026. |
Who oversees camps in Washington
| Agency | What it does |
|---|---|
| Local health officer (city, county or district) or the state director of health | Receives annual camp registrations under Chapter 246-376 WAC and may order a camp closed for a violation or health menace.Source: Chapter 246-376 WAC: Camps, Washington State Legislature (Office of the Code Reviser). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Washington State Board of Health | Holds the legal authority for the camps rule, Chapter 246-376 WAC.Source: Chapter 246-376 WAC: Camps, Washington State Legislature (Office of the Code Reviser). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) | Licenses child care, including school-age programs; seasonal programs of three months or less a year do not need its license.Source: Licensed and Unlicensed Child Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (LIC 0168), Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Checked November 2, 2026. |
Exemptions
- Seasonal camps that run three months or less in 12 months, primarily recreational or educational and closely supervised, are not child care agencies.Source: RCW 43.216.010: Definitions., Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Programs operated by any unit of local, state or federal government are not child care agencies.Source: RCW 43.216.010: Definitions., Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Drop-in recreational or educational programs for school-age children only are excluded when they meet all listed conditions, including national nonprofit affiliation.Source: RCW 43.216.010: Definitions., Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Programs within a federally recognized Indian reservation that are licensed by the tribe are not child care agencies.Source: RCW 43.216.010: Definitions., Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Programs on a federal military reservation are excluded unless military authorities ask that licensing apply.Source: RCW 43.216.010: Definitions., Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- The state camps rule covers only group camps that provide day to day living facilities, including food and lodging.Source: Chapter 246-376 WAC: Camps, Washington State Legislature (Office of the Code Reviser). Checked November 2, 2026.
Official rules
- Chapter 246-376 WAC
CampsWashington State Legislature (Office of the Code Reviser). Checked November 2, 2026. - RCW 43.216.295
License required.Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026. - RCW 43.216.010
Definitions.Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
Sources
Every source is an official government page.
- RCW 43.216.010: Definitions.Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- RCW 43.216.295: License required.Washington State Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Chapter 246-376 WAC: CampsWashington State Legislature (Office of the Code Reviser). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Licensed and Unlicensed Child Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (LIC 0168)Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Checked November 2, 2026.
About this page
We read each source above on an official government site on November 2, 2026. Each fact links to the page it came from.
Rules change, and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency before you open or change a program.
This page is a summary of public rules. It is not legal advice, and Bloomily does not file license applications.
Camp licensing in other states
- Alabama
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Arizona
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Arkansas
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- California
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state camp rules.
- Colorado
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Connecticut
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Delaware
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Florida
Day camps: no state license. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Georgia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Idaho
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Illinois
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Indiana
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state camp rules.
- Kentucky
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Louisiana
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Maine
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Maryland
Day camps: state certificate. Overnight camps: state certificate.
- Massachusetts
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Michigan
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Mississippi
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Missouri
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Montana
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Nebraska
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: no state license.
- Nevada
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- New Hampshire
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- New Jersey
Day camps: state certificate. Overnight camps: state certificate.
- New York
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- North Dakota
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Ohio
Day camps: state registration. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Oregon
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- South Carolina
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- South Dakota
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Tennessee
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Texas
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Vermont
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Virginia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state permit.
- West Virginia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Wisconsin
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
Running the camp itself
- See camp registration software
Online forms, deposits, waitlists and check-in for day camps and summer camps.
Check us before you commit.
Three things directors ask before they start, answered where you can read them.
Help whenever you need it.
AI help is built in, plus full support from our team. Ask a question, and it answers from your own records.
How AI help works →Children’s data deserves grown-up care.
Encrypted on the way and at rest. Each program’s records are walled off. We never hold card numbers.
Trust and security →Running a camp in Washington? Put forms, deposits, waitlists and check-in on Bloomily.
Get startedor book a demo
One flat price per camp, never per child. $199 a month billed yearly ($2,388), or $249 month to month. Free for home daycares up to 18 children. Every fee is on the pricing page.
Sign up today and set up in an afternoon.
Run more than one kind of program? Talk to us.